Covering means for planting attachments



Jan. 15, 1952 w. P. OEHLER COVERING MEANS FOR PLANTING ATTACHMENTSOriginal Filed Feb. 9, 1948 WILLIAM P. OEHLER' Patented Jan. 15, 1952COVERING MEANS FOR PLANTING ATTACHMENTS William P. Oehler, Moline, Ill.,assignor to Deere & Company, Moline, 111., a corporation of, IllinoisOriginal application February 9, 1948, Serial No.

1949, Serial No. 106,351

4 Claims.

This is a division of my co-pending application, Serial No. 7,042, filedFebruary 9, 1948.

The present invention relates generally to agricultural implements andmore particularly to planting tools, especially tools of the type that Iinvention is the provision of a new and improved planting and fertilizerattachment. More particularly stated, it is a feature of this inventionto provide a planting and fertilizer attachment in which isincorporated. new and improved covering means, especially adapted foruse with a planting and fertilizing attachment of the convertible type,and in which. adjustment of the covering elements may readily be made.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will beapparent to those skilled in the art after a consideration of thefollowing detailed description, taken in conjunction with theaccompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a fragmentary side View showing a planting and fertilizingattachment for tractors in which the principles of the present inventionhave been incorporated.

Figure 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the new and improvedmounting for the knife coverers of the planting and fertilizingattachment.

Figure 3 is a View taken generally along the line 8-8 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but showing the knife coverermembers in their optional or narrow setting.

Referring now to the drawings, particularly Figure 1, the tractor onwhich the new and improved planting and fertilizer attachments aremounted is indicated in its entirety by the reference numeral I and isof the well known threewheel or tricycle type, including a narrow body2, front wheel means 3 and laterally spaced rear or traction wheels 4fixed. to axles 5 that are journaled for rotation in rear axleextensions ii. However, the planter and fertilizer attachment. of thepresent invention are also applicable to other tractors, such as theone-row type. The tractor I preferably includes a power lift unit whichis connected with the tractor motor so as to be driven therefrom andarranged to act through lifting mechanism for raising and loweringplanting and fertilizing attachments as well as other tools connectedwith the tractor. The tractor and its power lift raising and lower.-

Divided and this application July 23,

2' ing mechanism are conventional so far asfithe present invention isconcerned. 1

According to the principles of the present invention, myv new andimproved planting and fertilizer attachment. is constructed and arrangedto be mounted on the rig beams of an integral or tractor-mountedcultivator, especially one of the type shown in the United States PatentNo. 2,423,148, issued to TheodoreW. Johnson, July 1, 1947, although itis to be understood that the plantingand fertilizer attachment of thepresent invention may readily be mounted on the rig beamsof other typesof tractor-mounted cultivators or on other supports, as desired. v

The. planting and. fertilizer attachment in which the principles of the.present invention have been incorporated as shown in Figure 1 iscarried by portions of a tractor-mounted cultivator, indicated in itsentirety by ,the reference numeral 20. The latter includes an attachingframe 22 at each side of'which two pairs of verticallyspaced links 23and 24 are connected for generallyvertical swinging movement. Thetractor cultivator also includes a pair of rig beams 28 at each side ofthe tractor, each having a generally upwardly extending bracket 29 towhich the rear ends of the associatedlinks 23 and 24 are pivotallyconnected. The rig beams 28 are raised and lowered by suitableconnections from the tractor power lift unit to the lower links 24,represented by a lifting rod 42. pivotally connected at its lower endwith the associated link 24.

The planting and fertilizer unit is indicated in its entirety by thereference numeral 69, there being one of such units at each side of thetractor l and each unit is supported on a crossbar 6! that is fixed tothe two rig beams 28 at each side of the tractor. To this end, theforward end of each of the rig beams 28 carries a clamping meinber 62,and preferably the latter memher is disposed immediately ahead of theassociated rig beam bracket 29. Each clamping member 62 is provided witha clamping cap section 63 and clamping bolts 64 receiving the associatedend of the supporting bar 6| for the planting and fertilizer unit 60.Essentially, each of the planting and fertilizer attachments comprises aforward tool clamp unit 65' carried by the supporting bar' SI and afurrow opener frame unit 66 swingably connected with the bar 6|. Apresswheel unit 6'! is fixed adjustably] to the rear end of the furrowopener frame unit 66,

although if desired the press wheel unit 61 may be floatingly connected.

A front shovel 90 is disposed at the forward end of the tool clamp 65and has its shank i disposed in the forward shank-receiving socket ofthe unit 65, the shank being firmly held in position by the forwardclamping bolts 18. This disposes the shank 9| forward of the supportingbar 6|. Also, in this arrangement a pair of billing disks 95 aredisposed rearwardly of the supporting bar 6|, each hilling disk beingset to turn the soil inwardly to form a hill. Each hilling disk 95 isjournaled for rotation on suitable bearing means 96 fastened at thelower or rearwardly offset end portion 91 of a hilling disk shank member98, the upper end of which is disposed rearwardly of the associatedsupporting bar 6| and firmly secured thereto by a tool clamp unitindicated in its entirety by the reference numeral I00.

The furrow opener frame unit 66 comprises a pair of laterally spacedstrap members I22 that are fixed at their rear ends, as by welding, to apair of laterally spaced plate sections I23 and I24, the forward edgesof the plate sections being rigidly interconnected by a cross plate (notshown). The plate sections I23 and I24 are provided with variousapertures so as to accommodate the attachment of various tools thereto,such as a forwardly disposed fertilizer opener unit I21 having afertilizer spout I28 and a rearwardly disposed seed furrow opener unitI29 having a seed receiving spout section I30. The unit I29 may alsocarry gauge shoes I3I, if desired, and as mentioned above, a press wheelunit 61 is also adapted to be attached to the furrow opener frame unit66 through the attaching bracket plate sections I23 and I24. The presswheel unit 01 comprises a pair of laterally spaced bars 203 and 204apertured at their forward ends to receive clamping bolts I31 and I38and spaced apart at their rear ends to receive a pair of press wheelsMI. The press wheel unit 61 also includes knife covering members withwhich the present invention is particularly concerned.

In order to assure proper filling of the fertilizer and seed furrowsopened by the units I21 and I29 covering means, indicated in itsentirety by the reference numeral 200, is provided. Re-

ferring now more particularly to Figures 2, 3 and 4, the covering means200, according to the principles of the present invention, includes apair of knife covering members 20I and 202 pivotally mounted on a pairof bars 203 and 204, respectively, which comprise the press wheel frameof the unit 61. The forward ends of the press wheel frame bars 203 and204 are apertured so as to be pivotally mounted on the attaching boltsI38, and the rear bolts I31 may be employed for fixing the bars 203 and204 to the bracket plates I23 and I24 where it is desired to fix theunit 61 rigidly to the furrow opener unit 66. Each knife coverer memberis provided at its upper end with a plurality of apertures 201 in anyone of which a pivot bolt 208 may be disposed, the latter being carriedby the associated press wheel frame bar. As best shown in Figure 1,where the attachment is provided with a fertilizer furrow opener unitI21 and the same is mounted, for example, on the laterally outer side ofthe frame unit 66, the laterally outer knife coverer member 20I isdisposed on the laterally outer side of the press wheel frame bar 204.The laterally inner knife covering member 202 may be mounted on thelaterally inner side of the associated press wheel frame bar 204 (seeleft hand portion of Figure 4), or both knife coverer members may bedisposed on the laterally outer sides of the associated press wheelframe members 203 and 204.

Referring again to Figure 3, each of the knife coverer members 20I and202 is urged downwardly by spring means which is indicated in itsentirety by the reference numeral 2I0. Each spring means includes anangle bracket 2I I having an attaching section 2 I2 apertured to receivea fastening bolt 2I3. The other section 2I4 of the bracket 2 isapertured, at 2I5, to receive the headed end of a rod 2I1, the other endof which is formed as a hook section 2I8 and disposable in an opening2I9 in the associated knife coverer member. A spring 22I is disposedabout each rod 2I1 and at its upper end bears against the section 2l4 ofthe associated bracket 2H and at its lower end bears against theassociated knife coverer member through contact with the hook portion atthe lower end of the rod 2I1.

As best shown in Figure 3, each knife coverer and associated springmeans are arranged so that the knife coverer may be disposed optionallyon either the inner or the outer side of the associated press wheelframe bar. For example, as illustrated, when the knife coverer member20I is disposed on the outer side of the press Wheel frame bar 203, thespring bracket 2II is fastened on the inside of the frame bar 203 andthe spring-receiving section 2I4 thereof extended laterally outwardlyover the edge of the bar 203. If the knife coverer member is to bemounted on the inside of the associated press wheel frame bar, thespring bracket 2 is fastened on the outer side of the press wheel framebar and the spring-receiving section 2I4 thereof directed laterallyinwardly so as to dispose the rod 2I1 and spring 22I in the properposition to act effectively against the knife coverer member. Where thefertilizer furrow opener is eliminated, it is preferable to have bothknife coverers on the laterally inner sides of the associated pressWheel frame bars, but when the fertilizer furrow openers are attached,either at one side or the other of the furrow opener frame, the knifecoverer at that side of the attachment is preferably disposed at theouter side of the associated press Wheel frame bar. The above describedspring mounting and associated parts permit a ready change in thepositions of the knife coverer members so that the coverer element atthe side of the unit where the fertilizer furrow opener is disposed isplaced in such position as to move a quantity of soil sufficient tocover adequately the fertilizer in the fertilizer furrow opener as wellas at least a portion of the seed furrow, the other coverer member beingpreferably disposed on the laterally inner side of the associated presswheel frame bar so as to pull in just enough soil to complete thefilling or covering of the seed furrow.

While I have shown and described above the preferred structure in whichthe principles of the present invention have been incorporated, it is tobe understood that my invention is not to be limited to the particulardetails, shown and described above, but that, in fact, widely differentmeans may be employed in the practice of the broader aspects of myinvention.

What I claim, therefore, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a planter or the like having a frame including a pair of laterallyspaced bars, a covering member pivotally connected to each bar andreversible between a position at the inner side of the associated barand a position at the outer side thereof, a springreceiving bracket foreach covering member and attachable to the asso ciated bar optionally atthe outer side or inner side thereof, respectively, and a spring actingbetween each bracket and the associated pivoted covering member.

2. In planter or the like having a frame including a p of laterallyspaced bars, a covering member pivotally connected to each bar andreversible between a position at the inner side of the associated barand a position at the outer side thereof, a spring-receiving bracket foreach covering member and including an attaching section attachable tothe associated bar Optionat the outer or inner side thereof, andspring-receiving section extending substantially at a right angle tosaid attaching section and adapted to extend across the bar to the sidethereof opposite the at which said attaching tion is connected to thebar, being thereby osed at the same side of the associated frame bar theassociated covering member, each bracket being attachable to theassociated bar optionally at the outer side or inner side thereofaccording to whether the associated covering member is disposed at theinner or outer side, respectively, of the associated frame bar, and aspring acting between the spring-receiving section of the associatedbracket and the covering member in either of their optional positions onthe associated frame bar.

3. For use with a planter or the like having a frame including a pair oflaterally spaced bars, and a covering member pivotally connected to eachbar and reversible between a position at the inner side of theassociated bar and a position at the outer side thereof, the improvementcomprising a spring-receiving bracket for each covering member, eachbracket including an attaching portion and laterally extendingspringreceiving portion adapted to extend from one of the associatedframe bar, across said bar and beyond the other side thereof, means forconnecting the attaching portion of each bracket to the associated baroptionally at the outer side or inner side thereof, according to theposition of the associated covering member, and spring means actingbetween the outer end of the laterally extending portion of each bracketand the associated covering member.

4. For use with a planter or the like having a frame including a pair oflaterally spaced bars, the improvement comprising a covering memberpivotally connected to each bar and reversible between a position at theinner side of the associated bar and a position at the outer sidethereof, a spring-receiving bracket for each covering member andattachable to the associated bar optionally at the outer side or innerside thereof, respectively, and spring means acting between each bracketand the associated pivoted covering member, each spring means includinga spring acting at one end against the associated bracket, and a memberhaving a portion interengageable with the associated covering memberfrom either side and receiving the other end of the associated spring.

- WILLIAM P. OEI-ILER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 721,306 Hutcherson Feb. 24, 1903734,150 Wilson July 21, 1903 941,298 Baxter Nov. 23, 1909

